


Matchmaker

by LoonyLoopyLisa



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 14:29:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11404362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoonyLoopyLisa/pseuds/LoonyLoopyLisa
Summary: “Steve has loyalty to Shield too.”  Clint noticed the mark exit the building and lined up his shot while Natasha continued talking, “He was the ex-directors boyfriend.”Clint took the shot.  “Got him, Widow.  Let’s get out of here.”It was only after debriefing, showering, and gorging himself on pizza that Clint remembered the conversation with Natasha.  She had said Steve was the director’s ex-boyfriend.  Clint supposed that made sense.Wait, what?





	Matchmaker

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a [Tumblr Post](https://loonyloopylisa.tumblr.com/post/160367371574/cabbageormurder-cabbageormurder-consider)

6 months after The Battle of New York

Clint stared at the back door of the house the mark had been hiding in, bored out of his mind. He could hear Natasha through the comms, systematically taking down the guards between her and the mark. Either she would get him or he would escape and Clint would. While he would have considered this a routine op before the invasion it was unbelievably dull now. Clint searched for something to take his mind off the boredom.

“Why did Cap join Shield?”

“What?” Natasha didn’t even sound out of breath. Ridiculous.

“Why is he part of Shield? He could be doing literally anything else. Hell, if it were me I’d be living off Stark’s money and catching up on everything I missed. How many movies do you think he needs to watch?”

“So, if you were Rogers, you would spend your time mooching off Stark laying around watching movies? How is that different from what you do now?”

“That was uncalled for.”

Natasha huffed out a laugh before the sounds of more fighting came through the comm.

“You know, we’ve worked for Shield for years, so there is some loyalty there or whatever, which I figure is why we still work for them. But it’s not like either of us joined for noble reasons. More like, join or die. Obviously, they can’t threaten Steve like that.”

“Steve has loyalty to Shield too.” Clint noticed the mark exit the building and lined up his shot while Natasha continued talking, “He was the ex-directors boyfriend.”

Clint took the shot. “Got him, Widow. Let’s get out of here.”

It was only after debriefing, showering, and gorging himself on pizza that Clint remembered the conversation with Natasha. She had said Steve was the director’s ex-boyfriend. Clint supposed that made sense.

Wait, what?

***

Clint was walking the halls of Shield singing off key, loudly. He wandered past Fury’s office and stopped, slowly backing up. Had Fury broken up with Cap? Or the other way around? He was considering going in and trying to find answers when he heard him name from behind.

“Barton! What the hell are you doing outside my office?”

Clint barely managed to keep from jumping. He had a reputation to maintain after all. He pasted a bright smile on his face, “Fury! Just the man I wanted to see. What’s up?”

Fury narrowed his eye. “What do you want Barton?”

“Just checking in. How’s life? You talk to Cap recently?”

“Did you hit your head?”

“Nope, I’m great! Just wondering about you Nick.”

“Leave me alone, I have better things to do than listen to you prattle. Go bother Stark or something.”

Man, Fury was in a mood today. Sounded like he needed to get laid.

Wait, that gave Clint an idea.

***

Clint entered the private elevator in Avengers Tower.

“Good afternoon, Agent Barton,” JARVIS greeted him as the elevator began to move.

“Hey, J, is Steve here?”

“Captain Rogers is currently in the kitchen. Would you like to join him?”

“Yes, please.”

Clint strolled into the kitchen to find Steve swearing at something that was smoking profusely on the stove.

“What’cha making there, Cap?”

Steve jumped and turned his glare to Clint. “Eggs.”

Clint was dumbfounded for a moment. “How the fuck did you manage that?” He grabbed the pan and threw it into the sink then found a new one. He pulled eggs out of the fridge and began scrambling.

“I don’t know. I got distracted for a minute and when I turned back around they were smoking.”

“I think we might all be a little safer if you gave up cooking. You know, before you burn the Tower down. You can live off takeout like every other early twenty something in this city.”

Steve scowled but took the plate of scrambled eggs that Clint handed him. He grudgingly thanked Clint and began eating.

“Got any plans for tonight?”

“What? No. Why?” Clint hadn’t realized Cap could sound so suspicious.

“Nothing, nothing. Just, got any hot dates coming up? You know, a reason to leave the Tower?”

“No, no dates.” Steve continued to watch Clint suspiciously.

“When was the last time you left the Tower, Steve?”

“I don’t see why-“

Clint interrupted him. “J? How long since Steve has gone anywhere?”

“It has been 4 days since Captain Rogers has left the Tower, Agent Barton.”

“Right. And when was the last time you went somewhere that wasn’t for work?”

Steve glared at Clint for a moment then grabbed his empty plate and threw it in the sink before stalking out.

Clint sighed. He should really do something to help Steve adjust. Luckily, he knew just the guy to set him up with.

***

Clint dropped from the vents to one of the chairs in front of Fury’s desk. Fury didn’t even look up from the tablet he was working on. “What do you want Barton?”

“There’s some of us hanging out at this bar tonight. You should come along. Steve will be there.”

“Why would I possibly want to spend any time I don’t have to with you? I’m assuming ‘some of us’ includes other Avengers, in which case, count me out. There is no way I’m voluntarily spending more time than I have to around Stark.”

“What if it were just and Steve?”

“Are you ever going to drop this?”

Clint smiled cheerfully, “Nope!”

“Fine, I will show up for half an hour. As long as you don’t invite anything obnoxious, especially Stark.”

Clint resisted the urge to fist pump. He jumped up and pulled himself back into the vent. He heard Fury shout after him, “and stop crawling through the goddamn vents!”

***

Clint dragged Steve into the bar five minutes late. He looked around and found Fury sitting in a corner booth which had the best sight lines. Once a spy always a spy it seemed.

Clint pointed Steve in Fury’s direction then turned to the bartender and ordered two beers. He carried them back to the table to find an awkward silence. This breakup must have been worse than he thought.

Sports. Sports was always a safe conversation topic, right? Clint started a conversation about baseball and soon Fury and Steve were joining in, arguing good-naturedly about the Mets.

Clint leaned back watching his handiwork. As drinks got low he signaled for more. It wasn’t long, however, before he realized a flaw with his plan. Fury was a spy, The Spy as Tony called him, so he obviously wasn’t going to get drunk in a public bar and Steve was incapable.

After a surprisingly pleasant couple of hours Clint followed Steve out of the booth and immediately stumbled into him. Steve caught him easily and laughed while Fury shook his head and tsked. “How are you one of my top agents? Seriously, Barton.”

“I guess I better get him home,” Steve laughed.

He led Clint out the door and into a nearby cab. When they got back to the Tower Clint stumbled out and led the way to the elevator. He leaned against the wall as it took them up to the residential floors. JARVIS stopped it at Steve’s floor first and opened the doors to let him out. “I had a great time tonight Clint, we should do this again sometime.”

Clint smiled brightly. “Sure thing, Cap!” When the elevator reached his floor he was still smiling, proud that his plan to bring Steve and Fury back together was going so smoothly.

***

Clint groaned into his coffee, keeping his eyes firmly closed behind his sunglasses. He felt more than heard someone walk into the kitchen but hoped they would leave him alone.

It was quiet as the person prepared tea, narrowing his companion to either Natasha or Bruce. Clint prayed without hope for it to be Bruce, who would go back to his lab as soon as his tea was finished. Natasha would probably lecture him about getting drunk in an unsafe space.

The person sat down across from him. Clint wondered how long he could pretend not to feel the eyes on him. He gave up after a few seconds, glancing up to see Natasha regarding him. 

“It was just one night out, Nat, give me a break.”

Natasha took a drink of tea.

“I was completely safe. I was with Steve and Fury.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“They totally got along. I think there are still a lot of feelings between them. They’re both just too stubborn to apologize and get back together.”

Natasha raised the other eyebrow and set down her cup.

“You never mentioned why they broke up. But I don’t think it’s anything they can’t get past.”

Natasha got up from her seat with a small smirk on her face. She pressed a kiss to Clint’s forehead, picked up her cup, and left the room. Clint felt slightly better after the conversation. Of course, that’s when Tony and Pepper walked in, arguing about something or other to do with Stark Industries. Clint groaned and let his head fall back onto the countertop.

***

Clint could hear arguing from Fury’s office as he crawled through the vents and decided to check it out. Natasha always loved hearing the gossip, sorry, intel, he got. As he got closer he realized the other voice was Steve. Crap, they did not need to be fighting again. Good thing he had a plan. He backtracked quickly until he could exit the vents, startling some junior agents walking by. Oh well, they needed to toughen up anyway.

He hurried to Fury’s office and nonchalantly opened the door. “Hey, hey,” he interrupted, “just who I was looking for! I’ve got tickets to a baseball game tonight, who’s in?”

Fury turned his stare on Clint, but after years of friendship with the Black Widow Clint was pretty much immune to all forms of intimidation.

Steve smiled brightly, “That sounds great, Clint!”

Fury scowled. “Is this going to become a regular thing? If so, I’m tapping out now.”

Clint attempted to look innocent. “I just thought you and Cap might like to spend some non-work related time together. You know, remember the good old days.”

Fury gave him an odd look, but agreed to come. Clint waited to indulge in his happy dance until he was alone.

***

Clint stared at Steve in fascination as he waved down the hot dog man yet again. He could hear music playing but was too focused on watching Steve, sitting between him and Fury, to pay much attention.

At least, until the older woman sitting behind him tapped his shoulder and pointed to the jumbotron where he and Steve were shown, surrounded by hearts. Clint was momentarily frozen, wondering how he could subtly signal the cameraman to move to Steve and Fury instead. He turned to gesture toward Fury and realized he was nowhere to be seen. Steve was talking to the woman behind them, nodding along, when he suddenly turned toward Clint and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. The crowd cheered. Clint blushed and felt butterflies in his stomach.

Aw, feelings, no.

***

Clint hid out on his floor of Tower for the next few days, leaving only to go to the range and shoot, but only at times when he knew he wouldn’t be bothered. He tried to make the feelings he was developing for Steve go away, but wasn’t having much luck.

He decided to go down to the gym to try and outrun his feelings, but as he walked in he saw Steve running shirtless on the treadmill. Clint would have turned around and walked right back out but Steve had noticed him and waved.

“Hey Clint,” he greeted, and god, he didn’t even seem out of breath. How unfair was that.

“Hey Cap,” he returned before getting on the treadmill next to Steve, where he at least wouldn’t have to look at all that muscle on display.

“I was thinking, we should go see a movie or something. You busy later today?”

“Umm, no, I’m free.”

“Great!” Steve then proceeded to outline his plan for the evening, which seemed to include dinner after the movie.

***

Clint didn’t want to admit it, but he was having a great time with Steve. The movie had been good and they had gone to get burgers after

They were walking back to the Tower when Steve suddenly stopped and pulled Clint into an alley. Clint looked around, expecting trouble, but didn’t see anything. He looked back at Steve who had somehow gotten a lot closer. “I had a great time tonight.”

Clint swallowed, “Me too.”

Steve started to lean in and Clint finally remembered what was going on. “Wait, wait. What about Fury?”

Steve looked at Clint confused. “What about Fury?”

“I thought you wanted to get back together with him.”

Steve stared at Clint for a few silent seconds, like he was the one not making any sense. “What?” he finally asked when it was clear Clint wasn’t going to say more.

“I thought you had the hots for Fury.”

“What? Why?” Steve looked honestly perplexed. “Fury and I can barely be in the same room for more than two minutes without fighting.”

“I thought that was because of the breakup!” Clint almost yelled.

“What breakup?” Steve yelled back.

Clint took a deep breath to calm himself. Yelling was only attracting attention from people walking by. “Natasha said you work with Shield because you used to date Fury. I thought you wanted to get back together with him. So I made the two of you go on date activities so you would remember the good times.”

Steve looked at Clint like he had lost his mind. “I have never dated Fury. And Natasha knows that.”

“Then why would she,” Clint trailed off, thinking back to their original conversation. “I’m going to kill her. She knew I misheard, but she let me try to set you up anyway.”

“Why would she do that?”

“She likes to see me suffer. Thinks it’s good for me. I think it’s a Russian thing.”

Steve started to chuckle, but it wasn’t long before he was holding onto the wall trying to hold himself up. Clint stared, worried he was having a nervous breakdown.

Steve finally got himself under control and stood to look Clint in the eyes. “I have no interest in dating Fury, but I do have an interest in dating you. What do you say? Wanna go on a real date with me?”

Clint nodded slowly before starting to laugh. “No way am I the one telling Natasha about all this.”

Steve chuckled then leaned down to kiss him. “I’ll tell her if you tell Fury what was going on.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr [here](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/loonyloopylisa).


End file.
